


Flight Plan

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Wings AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-17 22:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4683083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick was surprised to learn that Damian couldn't fly. But there was no time to learn like the present.</p><p>(Wings AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flight Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of got hardcore into the details of this potential ‘verse while writing. Every human has one of three things: wings, horns or tails. They’re all called something, with horns and tails being the Horns and the Tails, obviously, and the winged folk being called the Feathers - more as a general term, since not all the wings have feathers. Some people have two of those features, and it is incredibly rare to have all three. The al Ghuls have horns _and_ wings, though Damian only has wings, and his are a mixture of al Ghul - being all ornate and colorful - and Wayne - which are bat-like wings. The armour mentioned is like…a cloth, really, though bulletproof etc obviously because why not, and acts as their capes. This story is Dick and Damian’s first night out as a partnership. And after this moment, Damian falls into a dumpster like seven times. Supplemental listening is ‘Earth’ from the MoS soundtrack.
> 
> the Wings AU idea started [here](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/post/126377327327/okay-one-more-an-au-where-all-the-bat-family).
> 
> ~~

The wind blew across the rooftop, ruffling the feathers of his wings, despite the armour overtop of them. He glanced to the child next to him, the one frowning despite the bright colors he was encased in. To the bright yellow armour across his own wings – _that_ would be a dead giveaway to his identity.

Damian returned the peek, waiting in surprising obedience for Dick’s order.

Dick grinned, and Damian’s frown deepened. “Batman and Robin, together again for the first time.”

Damian scoffed. “Grayson, please.”

Dick chuckled, stepping onto the ledge. “Let’s fly, Robin.”

He jumped without hesitation, relishing in the drop, in the breeze against his face, in the strength of his wings – even bogged down with the lightweight armour – as they expanded, caught him and lifted him back into the low clouds.

Just like back in the day. Just like how he used to fly with his mother.

He had already pushed forward a few yards, excited to see just how fast he could go in his new Batman get-up, when he jerked to a stop, legs swinging out in front of him.

Damian hadn’t follow him.

He turned back. Damian was still on the rooftop, still a few feet back from the ledge, arms crossed and gaze off to the side.

“Robin?” He floated back. “What’s wrong?”

“You said we were hitting the _streets_ tonight.” Damian mumbled. “Not the _sky_.”

Dick pursed his lips because, well, the terms were kind of interchangeable. “…Quick adaptation is an essential skill for the mask. And…well, you’ve already proven you’re _great_ at that…” Dick surmised slowly. “So…what’s the _real_ problem?”

Damian didn’t answer right away, and Dick noticed him almost close tighter in on himself. For a moment, he panicked – was Damian hurt? Did he tweak something during training? Alfred said he might’ve, said his new ward might be stubborn enough to try and hide it.

But as Dick ran through the possibilities, Damian finally spoke, in a low, shy whisper. “I don’t know how.”

“How?” Dick repeated. “How to _what?_ ”

Another second, and Dick could practically see Damian biting his own tongue. Then a spit, a harsh bark. “ _Fly_.”

“You…” To say Dick was surprised was an understatement. Damian held himself so highly, claimed to be the best at _everything_ , never mentioned he might _not_ be able to, so Dick…well, he just assumed that Damian _could_. And it’s not like they ever talked about it, or brought it up in training. The Bunker was big, but not enough to spread your wings, literally and figuratively. Gently, he lowered himself back to the ledge, cleared his throat as he felt his shift back against his spine. “Oh.”

“I was going to teach myself.” Damian continued, and Dick sensed an anger in the tone. Though, not at Dick. At _himself_. “Sometime this week, while you were at the office or with the League, I was going to…research it.”

And it was a sad thought. Because history dictated that the Feathers were _not_ supposed to teach themselves. That the legend of Icarus was not to be taken lightly, and there were constant horror stories of people dying while on their first solo flight.

Not to mention that history also dictated that it was the _parents_ who were to teach their offspring how to fly. And the thought became sadder, when Dick realized that Talia apparently never bothered to, and Bruce wasn’t around anymore to try.

“I would have gotten it in a week or so.” Damian continued. “If all went to plan, you would never have known.”

But he did now. And Damian was embarrassed.

Dick glanced back to the yellow armour, could picture the leathery wings beneath it, the intricate swirls and golden designs – the product of having both Wayne and al Ghul genes, of course, and the papers were already predicting Damian to have the most unique wings in existence.

“…Okay.” Dick exhaled after a minute of silence. Damian stared sheepishly up at him. “Okay, this is no problem.”

Damian’s head jerked, and his forehead scrunched in confusion. “What isn-”

Damian’s voice faded as Dick held out his hand.

“I’ll just teach you myself.”

Damian’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

And Dick understood why. Teaching someone to fly was reserved for parents. For loved ones, and Dick knew that to Damian, he was neither. Just as Damian knew – or _thought_ , really, because to Dick it couldn’t be _further_ from the truth – that Dick was only caring for him out of loyalty to the hero who had passed. That there was no real bond between them, and there wasn’t supposed to be. This was a professional partnership, at least until something better came along, and that was all.

But this.

It was a severe test of trust, and Dick knew Damian didn’t trust _anyone_.

Damian gaped, before his eyes shot up to Dick’s face. “Really?”

“Really.” Dick grinned, wiggled his fingers. He could see an argument on Damian’s tongue, and shot it down immediately. “And I won’t drop you. Or let you fall. I _promise_. I swear on my own _life_.”

Damian’s stare drifted back down to the proffered hand. Slowly, he closed his mouth, and his gulp was almost echoing.

“Don’t be scared.” Dick murmured, reaching his hand further. “I think you’ll enjoy it, actually.”

Damian sucked his lips into his mouth and stepped forward, timidly sliding his hand into Dick’s. Dick grinned wider, holding out his other hand for Damian to take, then helped lift him onto the ledge.

“Now, for your first time, you’re not gonna want to look down.” Dick instructed. Damian watched over his shoulders as his wings opened in anticipation. And Dick smirked when Damian unconsciously made his own to do the same. “When your feet leave solid ground, _don’t panic_. Don’t just…flap your wings all willy-nilly. Have a rhythm to it, and start slow.”

Damian just gave one quick nod.

“Alright. When I say go.” Dick gave Damian’s hands a squeeze as he slowly lifted himself off the ledge. Damian stayed put, hair churning in the wind Dick’s wings were generating, just watching as Dick lifted his arms. They both felt their muscles grow taught, and Dick felt Damian’s weight in his grasp, felt Damian’s grip on his gloved hands tighten considerably. And when Damian was on his tiptoes, when the front of his boots began to scrape along the edge, Dick whispered, “…Go.”

Damian’s wings spasmed instantly, and he rocked back and forth in Dick’s hold. But it was only for a second, before Damian pushed his fear aside, went back to the instructions Dick had given him. The wings slowed to a sputter, and Dick heard Damian release a breath he didn’t realized the child was holding.

“Nice and slow,” Dick reminded tenderly, and a moment later, he felt Damian’s weight lessen. Watched as Damian began to gain altitude. “There you go…”

Damian stared up at him, eyes wide and excited. Dick felt proud, _more_ than proud – and he had the fleeting wonder, if this was how Mary and John felt on his first flight too.

“Okay. You’re doing great, Robin.” Dick said, after Damian reached even with him, and maintained the height for about a minute. He loosened his grip just a little, slid his hands back on Damian’s gauntlets. “I’m going to let go now, okay?”

And Damian’s fingers squeezed. Dick swore he could feel his nails, through both of their gloves. _“No!”_

“I won’t let you fall.” Dick reiterated again. “Ready?”

Damian pursed his lips. His right wing stuttered. “…No.”

“Good.” Dick smiled, and let go.

Damian kept his hands outstretched, flailed just a little bit. He dropped about a foot instantly, and Dick was already tensed to go catch him. But Damian was _good_ , better than all of them, really, if Dick had to admit it, and seemed to catch himself. His wings flapped harshly, and it took a lot of effort, but gradually, Damian lifted himself back up, even surpassed his previous height, though not by much.

“How’s it feel?” Dick asked. “Think you’ve got the hang of it?”

“Good.” Damian responded to the first question. His wings suddenly fluttered, and he dropped a few feet once more. But just like before, caught himself, legs splayed in front of him and arms out to his side. He glanced nervously up at Dick, and answered the second question. “Maybe.”

Dick laughed – and it felt like the first time he’d properly done so in ages. “Practice makes perfect. We’ll stay low for the time being. At least until you sea legs under you.” He paused as he swooped around Damian, hung with his back towards the ground, wings beating steady around him. “Or would it be considered _sky legs_ , in this situation?”

Damian huffed, crossing his arms, bouncing up and down as his wings continued to swing. “You’re an idiot, Grayson.”

“No names in the field.” Dick scolded playfully. “Now come on, _Robin_.” Dick pushed himself forward, flipped over, chest towards the ground now, though kept his head tilted upwards, to keep a watchful eye on his partner. “I think I saw the Bat-symbol a few minutes ago.”

Damian, path wobbly and wings waving unevenly, followed closely behind.


End file.
